McAllen man gets 35 years for hitting, killing Cameron County deputy constable

Jesse Edward Leatherwood

A jury on Monday sentenced a 47-year-old McAllen man to 35 years in prison for hitting and killing a Cameron County Precinct 1 deputy constable who was working a crash last September.

The jury convicted Jesse Edward Leatherwood on a charge of intoxication manslaughter last Thursday, Cameron County District Attorney Luis V. Saenz said in a Facebook post.

Leatherwood killed Deputy Constable Ruben Garcia, of Brownsville, on Sept. 30.

The Texas Department of Public Safety arrested the man following the crash that happened as Garcia assisted DPS with another crash at approximately 6:45 p.m. on State Highway 48 near Marine Way Road.

Leatherwood’s white Chevrolet Silverado rear-ended Garcia’s patrol vehicle.

At the time, DPS said Leatherwood claimed that he was looking at his phone when the crash happened. However, investigators suspected he was intoxicated and obtained a blood warrant.

The indictment against Leatherwood said he was “intoxicated by reason of such introduction of a controlled substance, a drug, or a dangerous drug into the body.”

Many pay their respects as the community mourns fallen Cameron County Precinct 1 Deputy Constable Ruben Garcia on Monday, Oct. 7, 2024, at a public viewing at the Brownsville Event Center to honor Garcia’s life and service to the community. (Miguel Roberts/The Brownsville Herald)

In a statement, Saenz said the jury sent a clear and powerful message.

“Our hearts remain with the family of Deputy Constable Ruben Garcia, who made the ultimate sacrifice in the line of duty. No conviction can erase their pain, but today’s verdict delivers a measure of justice in his honor,” Saenz said. “Through their jury verdict, the citizens of Cameron County have sent a clear and powerful message: We will hold accountable anyone whose reckless actions take the lives of those who dedicate themselves to protecting us and our community.”

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